Archive for the ‘Husqvarna’ tag

Just when you thought all the Steve McQueen bikes have been spoken for, Bonhams has found a few additional examples with ties to the iconic actor and motorcycle enthusiast for its upcoming auction in Las Vegas, Nevada. Three bikes from his private collection will cross the stage at the Bally’s Hotel and Casino on January 8, and it’s a safe bet that all will sell for top dollar.

1936 Indian Chief.

The first to cross the block will be a 1936 Indian Chief that was first sold as part of his estate in 1984. Said to be in the same condition as when McQueen owned it, the bike comes with a certificate of authenticity (COA), the signed bill of sale from that auction and a 1936 license plate from Carmel, California. Bonhams predicts a selling price between $80,000 and $100,000.

1912 Harley-Davidson X8E.

Next up is a 1912 Harley-Davidson X8E Big Twin, described as being in full running condition and coming complete with a controversial rattle-can paint job. The story goes that McQueen and painter Von Dutch may have added the red overspray while enjoying a few adult beverages one evening, but it is probably more likely they were peeling the bad paint job off and stopped when they found the original paint underneath. Like the 1936 Indian, this bike has been seen at auction before, selling at the Steve McQueen estate auction at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas in 1984. It’s rumored that McQueen actually rode the bike in a vintage motorcycle event, and it comes complete with the signatures of daughter Terry (who died of respiratory failure in 1998) and son Chad. It is not in its original form, however, as the wheels were changed and a headlight added after the bike left McQueen’s hands; despite these modifications, the Harley is expected to sell in the $120,000 to $140,000 range.

1971 Husqvarna 250cc Cross.

A 1971 Husqvarna 250cc Cross that was purchased new through McQueen’s production company, Solar Productions, will also be offered for sale. Husqvarna was said to be McQueen’s favorite off-road brand, and the actor is known to have purchased many examples during the 1970s. Per the auction description, this bike comes with the original bill of sale to Solar Productions and the certificate of origin from the dealer where the bike was purchased, verifying its provenance as a McQueen Husky. Bonhams estimates the selling price will fall somewhere between $70,000 and $90,000.

The auction begins at 10:00 a.m. (PST) on Thursday, January 8. For additional details, visit Bonhams.com.

UPDATE (12.January): The ex-Steve McQueen 1912 Harley-Davidson X8E sold for a price of $117,300, and the 1950 Vincent Series C White Shadow was the auction’s top-seller, reaching a fee-inclusive price of $224,250. The other motorcycles referenced above (including two formerly owned by McQueen) failed to meet their reserve prices.

A Vic Hickey-prepared 1969 Chevrolet pickup Baja racer, once owned by Steve McQueen and said to be the first truck specifically constructed by GM for use in the Mexican 1000 Rally (the predecessor of the Baja 1000), sold at last weekend’s Mecum Santa Monica auction for $60,000. One of four motorized vehicles (including a second pickup and a pair of motorcycles) associated with the late actor at the auction, the Chevrolet was the only one to go home with a new owner after topping its reserve price.

Debuting in the inaugural 1968 Mexican 1000, the Chevrolet pickup was first raced by Cliff Coleman and Johnny Diaz. A mere 80 miles from the starting line, it broke intake valves on six of its eight cylinders; despite this, Coleman and Diaz limped the pickup back to Ensenada, sourced a new pair of heads and returned to the race, finishing in just over 36 hours. The C10 (or technically, a K10 due to its four-wheel drive drivetrain) was next raced by Coleman in the 1969 Mint 400, before being purchased by McQueen (as part of a lot of GM-owned race vehicles) in 1970. There’s no evidence that McQueen drove the truck himself, though off-road legend Mickey Thompson raced it to a win at Riverside during the actor’s ownership. In 1972, the truck was among the holdings sold by McQueen to fund a divorce settlement, and Joe Metcalf, a Vic Hickey employee, bought it to use on his farm for several decades. Though no longer original (its original V-8 engine has been lost to time), the truck reportedly carried its original paint along with “period correct” decals. At a selling price of $60,000, its new owner received a relative bargain for a vehicle with both a racing pedigree and ties to McQueen; after all, a 1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe convertible once owned by McQueen recently sold for $84,000.

1952 Chevrolet 3800 pickup with custom camper shell.

A 1952 Chevrolet 3800 pickup with a custom-built camper shell and far more significant ties to McQueen also crossed the block in Santa Monica. Reportedly purchased by the late actor on a whim in February of 1978, it was said to be used on several cross-country camping trips. Oddly enough, it was also the vehicle chosen by McQueen for his drive to the Ventura County Airport on November 3, 1980, en route to his final (and futile) cancer surgery in Juarez, Mexico. According to Mecum’s auction description, the truck carries its original engine, frame and body work, and still wears the same Forest Green paint it sported from the factory. The license plates are original, as is the mattress in the truck’s custom-built “Dust-Tite” camper shell, meaning its next owner can sleep on the same cushion once occupied by McQueen himself. Bidding reached a high of $70,000, but that was not enough to meet the pickup’s reserve.

1931 Harley-Davidson VL 74, restored following McQueen’s death.

At the time of his death, McQueen was actively working on the restoration of several vehicles in his expansive collection. Among them was a 1931 Harley-Davidson VL 74, which has since been fully restored in period-correct colors with the original frame, bodywork and 74-cu.in. flathead V-twin engine. It’s not clear if McQueen ever rode this particular motorcycle, though its a safe bet that the actor spent time disassembling the bike during its restoration process. Advertised as “not in running condition,” the Harley-Davidson VL 74 bid up to $75,000, which failed to cover its reserve price.

1971 Husqvarna 400 Cross.

McQueen loved off-road motorcycles, too, and had an affinity for models made by Swedish firm Husqvarna. Frequently seen on “Husky” motorcycles, McQueen was photographed riding a Husky Cross for the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, and also opted for a Husky Cross in a scene from the classic documentary On Any Sunday. In August of 1971, McQueen purchased a 1971 Husqvarna 360 Enduro, but found this particular model didn’t suit his preferences. Instead, McQueen swapped the bike for the Husqvarna 400 Cross offered by Mecum, which he took delivery of in February of 1972. McQueen’s Husky Cross underwent an extensive restoration in 2012, including an engine rebuild and a respray of frame and bodywork in period-correct colors. Since restoration, the bike has not been started (though it’s assumed to be in running condition), meaning the next owner gets to decide if the bike will be ridden or preserved for static display only. Bidding reached a high of $50,000, but the McQueen Husqvarna was a no-sale at this price.

UPDATE 7/31: The brown tweed sport coat worn by Steve McQueen in Bullitt achieved a hammer price of $720,000 at Monday’s Profiles in History sale. This easily beat the low pre-auction estimate of $600,000, but failed to best the high estimate of $800,000.

I’m not sure what’s strangest about the press release I received recently about the Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance. Is it that an old two-stroke dirt bike is being used to draw attention to a Concours d’Elegance in Beverly Hills? A place where dirt bike riding is valued about as highly as sagging skin and knock-off designer clothes? Is it that the PR agency that sent the press release about said two-stroke dirt bike lists as its areas of expertise “green tech/clean tech” and “green products?”

Maybe it’s that the dirt bike is owned by a guy who takes old dirt bikes and turns them into museum pieces (yes, you read that correct), any of which could be on display at a concours in Beverly Hills, yet this particular bike still looks the way it did when it was last thrashed through the dirt – scuffs, scars and all?

Or is it that this press release actually conned me into writing yet another post about a Husqvarna dirt bike that once belonged to Steve McQueen?

It’s all pretty strange, so you decide. Here are the details.

The bike is a 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross, formerly owned by His Highness of Cool, which now belongs to Husqvarna fanatic and restorer of old dirt bikes, Rob Phillips of Poughkeepsie, New York.

The Husky will be on display at the 2012 Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance on May 6 along with more than 100 two- and four-wheeled treasures, including a 1939 Bugatti Type 57C coupe and a 1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Zagato. Admission to the concours is $108 per person in advance or $133 the day of the show. In other words, if you bring a date to the show, you’re about halfway to the purchase price of a thrashed Husqvarna dirt bike of your very own.

Our annual Hemmings Sports and Exotics Car Show, held at the Saratoga Automobile Museum in Saratoga Springs, New York, has featured an imported motorcycle marque each year for one of its awards classifications. Past years have seen some really great-looking Yamahas, Nortons, Triumphs and other marques. However, we felt that limiting the motorcycle class to just one manufacturer meant we were missing out on some really great restorations that are worthy of the show field but did not get an invitation. As this year’s event approaches, we decided that we would open the class up to any two-stroke motorcycle 25 years or older built outside the United States. This means we are looking for worthy Bultacos, Husqvarnas, Jawas, Aermacchis, Maicos, or any other imported two-stroke motorcycle you have restored that could compete for our judge’s trophy. If you think your bike can withstand the scrutiny of our event attendees and will be available on Saturday, August 4, contact the Hemmings editorial staff with a photo and a brief history of the bike. All of the bikes will be parked in their own separate section of the show field.

At an auction featuring multiple motorcycles from the Steve McQueen collection, including a 1971 Husqvarna 400 Cross that was definitely owned by McQueen and could or could not have been the famous Sports Illustrated cover bike, the motorcycle that grabbed headlines had no star power at all or even a name recognizable by most gearheads. Yet at the end of the day, a 1915 Iver-Johnson twin topped the recent MidAmerica 21st annual Las Vegas auction with a sale price of $280,000.

Previously on display at the J&P’s National Motorcycle Museum, the Iver-Johnson had rarity and its excellent condition on its side as it more than doubled the $137,000 sale price for the McQueen Husky. Other McQueen bikes at the auction included a 1940 Indian Four that brought $90,000 and a 1938 Triumph 500cc Speed Twin that sold for $84,000. Notable sales at the auction included a 1938 Brough Superior SS100 that was sold for $180,000, a 1939 Superior SS80 that gaveled at $45,000, a 1910 Pierce 700cc four-cylinder that realized $120,000, and a 1935 Bohmerland Langtouer that was let go for $55,000.

More than $4.6 million changed hands on the bikes sold at the auction. For more information and results, visit MidAmericaAuctions.com.

In addition to the motorcycle auctions by Auction America and Bonhams scheduled for next month, comes word of a third motorcycle auction in Las Vegas the same weekend, and this sale by Mid America Auctions promises to be huge. More than 375 bikes have already been consigned, three of which have direct ties to Steve McQueen.

Among the bikes for sale will be McQueen’s 1971 Husqvarna 400 Cross, described by the auction as “Sports Illustrated magazine cover bike competitively raced by him. Documented w/ serial number verification, photos, factory & dealer bills of sale, repair orders for the missing front fender.” Note the lack of a definite or indefinite article. Other McQueen-owned bikes to be offered are a 1938 Triumph Speed Twin that was restored for McQueen by Bud Eakins at his Hollywood shop and a 1940 Indian inline-four that was originally purchased from the McQueen estate in 1984 and is now being sold by the purchaser’s son. Steve McQueen’s wife will also be in attendance at the auction, presenting two books she has written about her life with the legendary movie icon, avid motorcycle collector and expert rider.

McQueen bikes don’t interest you? How about a 1998 Ducati 916 SPS with no miles on it? The bike was purchased from the dealer and never ridden. All original paperwork is included with the bike. A restored 1939 BMW R12 is also featured, as is a Czechoslovakian-built 1935 Bohmerland Langtourer three-seater with dual rear gas tanks and a 1913 Flying Merkel Board Track Racer, built by Merkel employee Maldwyn Jones in 1912, who raced it himself. The list goes on and on, and so does the online catalog. The Mid America Auctions motorcycle auction will take place January 12-14. A complete list of all the bikes (currently 18 pages’ worth) is available at MidAmericaAuctions.com.

How many replica cars can attract six figure bidders? A few handfuls at most possibly; and you would think that there are even fewer motorcycle collectors who would fall into that category. However, that’s just who showed up or phoned in at the recent Bonhams spring auction event in Carmel, California. The auction featured an exact replica of the 1971 Husqvarna 400 Cross similar to the one that Steve McQueen sat astride in the famous Sports Illustrated cover. Editor Mike McNessor first reported on the bike becoming available back in February. Selling at $144,500, the Husky won top honors at the sale followed closely by another six figure bike, a historic 1925 BMW R32, which set a new record for antique BMW auction values at $139,000. Complete results of the Carmel Auction, including Crockers and Zundapps and many other great bikes are listed at the Bonhams website.

1925 BMW R32

Based on the strong sales at their January Las Vegas auction, as well as these eyebrow-raising sales figures in Carmel, Bonhams USA has also announced their first live motorcycle auction to be held in August during Pebble Beach Car Week. Already listed for this auction is a one of four 1954 AJS “Porcupine” E95, which is expected to sell somewhere around 3/4 of a million dollars. Two of the Porcupines are on display at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, and one was sold at auction about 10 years ago. We don’t have any figures on what it sold for then, but Porcupine E95s have certainly appreciated in value since then, as more vintage motorcycle enthusiasts learn about them. A list of the consignments for the August live auction is available at the Bonhams website.

1954 AJS E95 Porcupine

UPDATE: The Steve McQueen bike was not a replica of the one on the Sports Illustrated cover. It was indeed owned by McQueen, and was similar to, but not the exact, bike owned by McQueen.

No front fender, no shirt and an open-face helmet – that’s how Steve McQueen rolled on the August 23, 1971, cover of Sports Illustrated, wheelie-ing the legendary Husqvarna 400 Cross.

On Any Sunday, Malcom Smith and, of course, McQueen did for the red-tanked Swedish-built Huskys here in the U.S. what Rebel Without a Cause did for red windbreakers.

The 1970 and 1971 400s are now the most prized Huskys among collectors, and anything with a connection to Steve McQueen is like auction gold. So while it’s a little surprising to see a dirt bike headlining Bonhams sale of “Exceptional Motorcycles & Related Memorabilia,” May 14, at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, California, it’s understandable when you learn that the bike happens to be the same Husky on a Husky similar to that which McQueen rode shirtless on the now famous SI cover.

Last we’d heard, the ’71 400 belonged to famous boxing promoter Tony Holden and was on display in a museum in Miami, Oklahoma. Bonhams tells us it was sold from McQueen’s estate back in 1984 at Harrah’s Auto Collection in Las Vegas. The Husky will be sold with a wooden trunk of accessories owned by McQueen, including numerous racing trophies.

Last year’s sale at Quail Lodge saw a rare 1910 Royal Pioneer Single sell for $92,000, the only known surviving 1914 Flanders Model D Twin – formerly owned by L.A. newspaper scion Otis Chandler – sell for $78,200, and a 1913 Flying Merkel Single Board Track Racer sell for $64,975.

UPDATE (18.May 2011): Bonham’s has since amended their description of the bike to say that this is not the exact Husqvarna that McQueen rode for the cover of Sports Illustrated, but that it is similar to that bike. Regardless, McQueen did own the bike in question.

Recently, a brief discussion in the HMN editorial bullpen touched on that social networking nuisance, Facebook, and our various curmudgeonly opinions of it: “In MY day, we networked the old-fashioned way with faxes, chatrooms and e-mail….”

Needless to say, none of us have seen the movie, and frankly, the only reason I joined Facebook was so that I could send off-road racing legend Malcolm Smith a friend request and hopefully get back a message reading: “You and Malcolm Smith are now friends.”

I got this pathetic idea from a guy on an online dirt bike forum who friended the great Mr. Smith, and then proudly shared his virtual friendship notification with the rest of us losers.

Creepy I know, but Malcolm Smith and I are now Facebook friends, and if I died tomorrow, it would be mostly okay. (I still haven’t owned a Husqvarna enduro bike or ridden on the Baja peninsula.)

This man crush can be traced directly back to the copy of Bruce Brown’s documentary, On Any Sunday, rented approximately 957 times from the local video store while I was in junior high and the owner of a 1975 Yamaha MX 100 exactly like this one.

On Any Sunday focuses on much more than Malcolm, but the man’s otherworldly displays of finesse aboard an ordinary Husqvarna steal the show again and again.

A couple of weeks after breaking his foot racing a Husqvarna dirt bike at the 1970 Lake Elsinore GP, Steve McQueen did what any self-respecting movie star-cum-amateur motorsport star would do: He teamed up with Peter Revson and nearly beat out Mario Andretti and Team Ferrari for the overall win at the 1970 Sebring 12-Hours.

The race has become the stuff of legend as McQueen, with his foot in a cast, and Formula One star Revson outgunned a field of factory teams with McQueen’s Porsche 908. With 25 laps to go, they were actually leading the race but couldn’t hold off Andretti’s second-to-last-lap charge in a 5-liter Ferrari 512S.

McQueen’s 908 Porsche was then raced at Le Mans later that year, with a pair of cameras on board filming footage for his 1971 gearhead classic, Le Mans.

If any or all of the above seriously interests you, then you’ll also be interested in learning that Bonhams & Butterfields will be offering McQueen’s legendary 908 at its sale August 15 at Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, California, during the Monterey Peninsula Car Week, which includes the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca.

The pre-auction estimate for the car is currently between $1.5 and $2 million, so don’t forget your checkbook.

(This post originally appeared in the May 29, 2008, issue of the Hemmings eWeekly Newsletter.)